The Sweetness
by Renee Bell
Summary: Serena just moved into an apartment complex were she meets the eccentric Darien Shields who takes it upon himself to make her believe in love again. But behind his smile is a dark past that Serena is desperate to learn about. When she finds out his fatal secret she asks herself one defining question; can she love a man who is dying? AU
1. Prologue

So, I've really wanted to do a story like this for a while. I'm still writing the first chapter but I just want to put the prologue out to see if people would be interested in reading this kind of story. I kind of swapped Darien and Serena's personalities for this story but don't worry, in some parts you will see that Darien is still unwilling to show emotion and Serena is still a klutz and crybaby. This story is mostly T-rated but about one or two chapters will be M15 due to sexual innuendos but nothing major. Now that I have almost completed Awakening I can focus more on Second Chances and this one. So please review and let me know!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sailor Moon

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**Summary:** After convincing her parents and therapist that she's no longer suicidal Serena Tsukino moves into an apartment complex where she meets her eccentric neighbor Darien Shields who makes a wager with her that if he can make her believe in love again she can use his garage for storage. Serena is captivated by Darien's view on live and his overwhelming love to make those around him happy but there is a dark past behind his smile and Serena wants to the secret that he tries to keep hidden. But she herself has a rocky past that Darien tries to understand. In their quest of self-discovery they find happiness, heartbreak and love in each other.

**...**

Prologue

Darien looked at himself in the mirror. The sight of his reflection frightened him. In all the years that he had been sick he had never seen himself like this; his skin was as pale as an eggshell, dark spots encircled his eyes, perspiration dotted his skin from his constant fight to hold back the pain. He grasped onto the cold porcelain of the sink as he waited for the morphine to flow through his veins, to help him forget that the sickness was mocking him, laughing at his misfortune.

A knock on his door tore him from his thoughts and out of habit stuffed the syringe at the bottom of the waste bin, stuffing crumpled newspaper to the top.

"Coming." He stated loudly as a second rushed, desperate knock echoed through his apartment. He unlocked the door and pulled it open surprised to see the woman standing in his doorway soaking wet from the rain.

"Seren…" Was all he managed to get out before Serena thrust herself at him, wrapping her long fingers around the nape of his neck and pulled him down to her lips and kissed him. This wasn't like the many other kisses they shared, he was usually the one kissing her and pulling away when he could sense her becoming uncomfortable. But here she was in his arms kissing him so passionately, slowly pushing him towards his bedroom. He stumbled over the rug and they both fell onto the bed ripping him away from their passionate lip lock. Damn him and his clumsiness.

She stared down at him, her bright cerulean eyes full of longing and fervor

"You lost our wager." She stated slightly falling back as Darien positioned himself so that she was sitting on his lap.

"How?"

She placed her delicate hands on either side of his face and kissed him softly and sweetly, pushing him down on to the bed, her wet hair falling onto his hot face. She pulled away, looked down at him and said, "Because I've fallen in love with you, Darien Shields."

**…**


	2. A Wager and A Secret

So I got inspired to write this story after watching Dying Young which is one of the_ greatest_ chick flicks ever created! If you're not in to that it's completely okay and I'm not quite sure this story would be for your liking. But then again we can always give it a chance right? Anyways thank you to those who reviewed!

**TropicalRemix**: That shall be answered in this chapter and I'm still deciding if he'll live or die. Hmmm

**SailorMoonLover24**: Im so glad you like it!

**SerentiyMoonGodness**: Thank you! I'm glad you like it!

**Silvermoonmagic**: Thank you. Yes this chapter is defiantly longer ;)

**Litalove**: The waiting is over!

Here is the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do **not own** Sailor Moon.

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The room smelt of old stale rug and the sickening strong scent of coffee. Like most therapist offices there was a bookshelf filled from top to bottom with medical dictionaries and several editions of one called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, each book embossed with a roman numeral. Most rooms of the category seemed to be painted brown and furnished with matching brown leather furniture making it almost impossible to forget that you're in such a depressing place. A ceramic map of the brain, which reflected the light shining in by the nearby window, stood on the table next to the therapist's chair.

"How are you settling into things at your new place, Serena? It's been a month since you were released from the hospital." Dr. Kaioh asked.

Dr. Kaioh always wore navy blue dress suits, her hair was an odd color Serena couldn't quite name, dry cracked skin cover her pale lips, and there was a run in her stockings and a scrape on her formal black shoes. These were the things that caught Serena's eyes and occupied her mind nowadays, all the flaws on a person.

"Okay I guess. I haven't unpacked all my things yet." She dropped her chin in her hand leaning to her right on the giant leather chair.

"You moved in a week ago. What's been keeping you from unpacking?"

"Well, it's just like this morning. I was so happy sleeping and then I woke up and this awful realization hit me that I was awake. I didn't want to be awake. So I lay in bed until my body's numb from being there so long."

"Why don't you want to wake up?"

"I guess I don't want to deal with all the bad memories anymore. The moment I wake up my mind travels back to that day and I just don't want to have to think about it. I don't want my life to be so screwed up."

Dr. Kaioh jotted something down on her legal pad. Serena always wondered what shrinks wrote down on those pads although most of the time she believed they remarked on how insane their patients were. Short loud beeps chirped from Dr. Kaioh's timer and she glanced at her watch.

"It looks like our time is up. I'm going to prescribe you Xanax to help with your depression." She handed Serena the prescription sheet as she stood from her seat. "In the mean time you should try and interact with people. It might distract your mind from remembering hard times if you make some friends."

She escorted Serena to the door and opened it for her. "Do you need money for a cab?"

"No thanks. I have my bike."

**…**

Why did she have to rent an apartment on the second floor in a complex with no elevator? She dragged her bike up the stairs stopping momentarily to catch her breath. She wasn't as strong as she used to be especially after her restricted diet at the "hospital."

"Move you stupid bike!" She hissed as she pulled it up another step.

"Here let me help you with that." A young man offered walking up the stairs from the first level. Before she could protest he handed her the brown paper bag he was carrying and lifted the yellow Schwinn Cruiser with minimal effort. Taken aback by his forwardness Serena stood there for a minute staring at him. She had never seen anyone with such dark black hair and deep blue eyes. He was wearing lose jeans, a black turtle neck, and an unsightly green blazer. "It would help if you showed me where you live."

"Oh." She caught herself staring, turned, and made her way up the stair case.

They had finally made it to the hallway and Serena ran to her door. She fished in her bag for her keys amongst the other various items stuffed in there. God, did she really need all this junk in her bag? The man rolled the bike down to her door and kicked down the kickstand.

"You just moved in, right?" He asked leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, last week." She stated preoccupied with finding her keys in this purse that seemed to have a second dimension. Her fingers ran across a thin cool metal. "Ha! There it is!"

She pulled out her keys and unlocked the door holding it open so the man could bring in her bike. She watched him intently as he leaned her bike against the couch and looked at all of the unpacked boxes and her suitcases with clothes scattered around it. Although most people would apologize for the messy condition of the one room accommodation she felt she shouldn't have to. This was her place and she could do with it what she wants.

"I think your place is bigger than mine." He said walking towards her kitchen running his hand along the marble counter then looked out the large balcony window. "You've got a better view too."

"Ahem." She cleared her throat and he turned to look at her. She held out the brown paper grocery bag which she still held in her hands.

"Oh, sorry." He walked over and took the bag from her. There was an awkward silence between them as he stared at her.

She hated it when people stared at her. It always seemed like they were judging her. She got enough of that from her parents she didn't need it from a complete stranger.

He must have seen her shifting around uncomfortably because he stuck out his hand and offered her a smile. "I'm Darien Shields."

Her heart skipped a beat at his beautiful smile. She'd never seen anyone so handsome before and it was then that she realized her mind wasn't picking out any flaws on this man.

"Serena Kou." She pursed her lips in a thin line and shook her head. "Sorry, I mean Tsukino. Serena Tsukino. I have to get used to going back to my maiden name." She shook his hand.

"You were married?"

"If you could call it marriage. It only lasted five months." Her eyebrows creased with irritation at the memory of her ex-husband and the fact that this man was asking questions that didn't concern him.

"I didn't mean to pry but it's just that you look so young to have been married and divorced."

"Yeah, well it's a long story." She reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet.

"Oh no, please." Darien waved away the bills she was about to hand him. "I was just being a good Samaritan."

"I have to give you something." She protested amazed at his chivalry.

"Honestly, it's fine." He began to open the door when he turned to her and said, "Actually, you could join me for coffee later tonight. There's this really nice coffee house around the block."

She hesitated for a moment about to deny his invitation when Dr. Kaioh's suggestion came to mind.

_You should try and interact with people. It might distract your mind from remembering hard times if you make some friends._

It wasn't as if Serena were antisocial, she just didn't believe she could find anyone who would understand her complicated life and all that she's been through. You usually don't meet people who attempted suicide and then are forced into a psychiatric ward every day. She had yet to follow any of her therapist's suggestions; perhaps this was a good time to start.

"Sure." She nodded a faint smile on her lips.

Darien smiled and walked out the door and across the hall. Her heart raced with alarm as she watched him pull out a set of keys from his pocket and unlock the apartment door. No. He couldn't.

"You live…" She stood in her doorway shock and denial painted across her face.

"Right across the hall." He confirmed her fear with a devilish grin. "I'll see you tonight Serena." He said before closing his door.

_Great._ She already felt the doubts creep inside her chest. Before she would have been thrilled to have been asked out be such an attractive man but now after everything that's happened her trust in people, especially men, had deteriorated. And it was all because of that stupid idiot that she believed she had loved. And yet her she was, going to have coffee with her neighbor. She hated coffee.

**…**

Raye Shields sat in the holding cell trying to rub off the black ink used to take her fingerprints but no matter how much saliva she used or how hard she rubbed the ink stayed. An agitated sigh escaped her lips as she gave up and threw her hands down. A woman in a dirty sweater sitting a few feet away from her looked at the raven haired woman with a questioning stare.

"What the hell are _you_ looking at?" Raye dared glaring back at the woman.

"Shields, "A female office unlocked the barred gated and motioned for her to come forward.

Once Raye walked out of the holding cell the officer grabbed her upper arm and led her to the front desk.

"Hey Hun, you don't need to be so forceful. I bruise easily." She struggled to keep pace with the officer tripping over her own feet. Damn these high heel boots.

"You made bail."

"Bail? By who?"

They came to a secured door and the officer punched in a code on the keypad lock. A loud buzz came from the door and it pushed open. They walked out and reared a corner where a man dressed in a suit stood at the front desk holding her messenger bag.

"Great. Let me guess, your one of my father's new fetchers. What the hell does he want?" Raye asked spitefully snatching her bag from the man's hands and throwing it around her shoulder.

"He paid your bail Ms. Shields. He's waiting for you in the car."

"What makes him think I'm getting in that car with him?"

"He just wants to talk and take you home, miss."

Raye snorted. She would do more than talk with him.

The man escorted her out of the police station and to the black SUV parked in front of the building. He opened the door for her and she climbed in staring at the man who sat next to her. He hadn't changed much except for the gray streaks that dusted the sides of his dark hair and worry wrinkles lined his forehead. He was dressed in a dark grey business suit and a large heavy beige trench coat draped around his shoulders. Time did him good but that's the least she could say for herself.

"Raye…"

"Don't think that bailing me out is going to make everything okay between us." Raye spat, anger filling her chest.

"I wasn't expecting it to." He looked at her and Raye felt sympathy creep into her heart at the devastated look in his eyes.

"Then what do you want?"

"I'm trying to make things right Raye."

"Right?!" She couldn't hold it in anymore. "Do you really think that you can come back into our lives eight years later and expect everything to be peachy?! Do you understand how hard it was for Darien and I when you ran off? You left when he needed you the most!"

"Don't you think I know that? If I could take it back I would but I can't. I'm trying to do the right thing and make up for what I've done."

There was a long silence between them as they drove down the crowded street. Raye pulled her short faux fur jacket closer to her body as if the bulk of the coat could block the tension now occupying the air around them. She wouldn't let herself feel sorry for the man sitting next to her because she had every right to be enraged at him. Who was he to think that she could simply forgive him with such a small gesture of bailing her out of jail for possession? She wasn't the little girl he used to win his campaigns anymore. Those days were gone from her. Her life had taken a down spiral ever since Darien was first diagnosed and her father had left them afraid that his campaign would crash if he focused all his attention on his sick son. Raye had turned to the "things" she knew would free her mind of all the imperfect things in her life. But those "things" that once saved her betrayed her. She let them get the better of her, leading her into a world of darkness on the sinful side of the city. She turned into the one thing she thought she would never become, an addict.

She knew this would ruin her father's reputation if anyone caught him picking her up at the police station. He wouldn't want the people to know that his precious princess became a druggie.

"You're doing this because elections are coming up, aren't you?" She asked looking out the window at the street light.

"Jesus Raye," He turned to her astounded by her audacity. "I'm not the monster you make me out to be. I'm your father and I was concerned about you."

"I don't have a father!" Her anger reached its peak. "The man who raised me is named Samuel Tomoe and he is the one who has kept Darien alive for the past ten years. Not you!"

She waited for the street light to turn red then unlocked the door and threw it open.

"Don't follow me." She slammed the door shut and ran down the crowded street pushing past the masses.

John Shields watched as his daughter disappeared into the crowd, her dark hair trailing behind her. He couldn't blame her for being hostile. Hell, he deserved it. He knew it would take more than talking to her for her to forgive him but he was willing to do whatever it takes. Darien was a different story. He knew Darien would possibly never forgive him but he had to give it his all. Looking back he couldn't believe his own arrogance when he left his son during his first round of treatment. How could he think that taking care of his own son was going to ruin his chance in the Senate?

"Sir?" His driver looked back at him wanting to know whether he wanted him to chase after Raye or continue down the road.

"Home, Jeffery."

"Yes sir."

This wasn't going to be the last time that he would see Raye. He was going to win his kids back no matter the coast.

**...**

The coffee house was a small place along the shopping strip with a very bohemian atmosphere; chairs of different shapes and sizes furnished the inside, each wall was painted different contrasting colors, and on the stage was a man playing a soothing tune on his guitar.

"You're Japanese?" Darien sat opposite of Serena sipping his roasted black coffee.

"An eighth." She dipped her biscotti in her hot chocolate happy that she wouldn't have to hold down that horrible bland tasting drink he called coffee. "My dad's a quarter, my grandpa's half and so on."

"I couldn't see it at all until you said your last name. You kind of have the eyes."

"I do?" She ran her finger over her eyelid tracing the shape of her eye. Was that a bad thing?

"You read into people's words to much. I didn't mean anything by it. It was just an observation." He stated after seeing the contemplating look on her face.

"I have a lot of issues." She bit into the cookie savoring the sweet taste. "Most of which were caused by my conniving _ex_."

He was almost afraid to ask on after she put so much emphasis on her last word. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

She set down her biscotti and whipped the crumbs off her hands. "What does every man do when a relationship goes bad? He cheated on me."

There was more to it than that simple reason why she hated the man who took her innocence but Darien didn't need to any of that. After all, she had just met him this afternoon.

"You think everyman is the same?"

"I know every man is the same. My dad cheated on my mom and god knows why she's still with him." She sipped her hot coco and liked her lips free of the creamy substance once she set it down. Darien watched her intently, his chin in his hand and she shifted uncomfortably. Why did he always stare at her like that?

"You don't trust a lot of people, do you?"

"What made you come to that conclusion?"

"You always turn away when someone looks at you like they're judging you."

"Aren't they?"

He sat back in his chair amazed at her doubts in humanity. She certainly had a lot of spite towards man and seemed to deny that any person was good natured. A smile tugged at his lips as an idea sprung to mind.

"So I guess it's out of the question to think that you believe it's possible to fall in love"

She snorted and leaned back in her chair. "I used to believe in love. I honestly thought it was possible to love someone to death but now I know it's just a joke. Human beings aren't capable of loving someone else other than themselves. Their actions are defined by what's in their better interest. I wish I could believe in it again but it's just like finding out Santa Clause isn't real; once you see your parents eating the cookies and drinking the milk you know that it was all a hoax. All your dreams are crushed and hope vanishes and you can never get them back."

"Why don't I make a deal with you? A wager of sorts." A cunning smile played on his lips and Serena was almost too scared to inquire is offer.

"What kind of wager?"

He sat there for a minute his intense blue eyes staring at her.

"If I can make you believe in love again within a year we switch apartments."

Serena cocked her head to the side. Was he serious? The whole gist was crazy but there was no way she was giving up her apartment. She had to talk her parents into letting her get that place for two months and there was no way in hell she was going to lose it over some bet. But her curiosity got the better of her and mused on. "If you lose?"

"You get to decide that part." He sipped the last of his coffee as she pondered her end of the bargain.

"If you lose I get to use your garage as storage and you never bring the matter up again."

"Deal" He stuck out his hand and she took in shaking in agreement. "There's only one rule."

Serena shrugged her shoulders, a gesture for him to continue.

"You can't fall in love with me."

Serena suppressed a giggle. It wasn't as if he was impossible to love. She had never seen anyone so beautiful in her life. The whole deal was insane and she didn't understand why she was so intrigued by her unwillingness to believe in love. It wasn't going to happen. Her admiration of love was torn away from her that day she lost the one good thing in her life. This was a lost cause.

Instead of telling him all of this she simply nodded her head in agreement.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I have a pretty screwed up past and I don't want you to get scared away?" She asked eating the last of her biscotti.

Darien's eyes suddenly became dark and something in his posture hinted at the melancholy state he was now in. "You're not the only one with secrets."

**…**

"Well, thanks for the hot coco. I really enjoyed talking to someone other than my shrink." Serena stood with her back to her door facing Darien. He had his hands in his pockets standing just a few feet away from her. He towered over her and she had to tilt her head up to look him in the eyes.

"It was my treat." He smiled that heart melting smile that made her weak in the knees.

"So when does our bet start?" She asked trying to distract her mind from how close his body was to hers.

"Tomorrow."

"And you have exactly a year to prove me wrong that love is possible or I prove to you that it's just a cliché word used to get into someone's pants."

He chuckled at her statement. "You're something else Serena."

He drew closer to her and brought his right hand to her door frame and leaned against it, his left hand still in his pocket.

Her heart began to race as he bent down and pressed his soft cool lips to her hot cheek and it was then that she smelled the unique scent of roses on his skin. He pulled away and she immediately missed the heat of his body on hers.

"Good night." He backed away to his door, his eyes still on her.

"Night." She breathed with a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She opened her door and stumbled in once he had disappeared into his apartment and shut the door.

Still dazed from his kiss she let her bag fall to the floor as she made way to her bedroom. She sat down and let herself fall back on the bed staring at the ceiling above her. She touched the spot on her cheek where his lips had just been. She felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips and no matter how hard she tried to deny it warmth crept inside her chest, a feeling she had felt long ago before all the trouble began. She was baffled by his courtesy and generosity. Never in her life would she expect to meet someone like him.

She tried to remember the feel of his warm lips against her skin and she closed her eyes and she imagined it. For a full year she would be spending her days with him and she now felt doubt in herself not being able to keep her hands off him. Darien Shields would be the death of her.

**…**

Darien stood with his back against his door smiling to himself. He couldn't believe he had just done that. He didn't know what had come over him. Yes, her beauty was astounding but it was something else about her that had drawn him to her. Perhaps her cynical views on life, he had never met anyone who was so skeptical of generosity. He was looking forward to this wager he talked her into.

His attention was averted to the answering machine that was blinking on his kitchen counter. He walked over to it surprised to see that he had so many missed calls. He pressed the play button on the machine and listened as he took off his blazer and he froze as he heard the deep familiar voice ring through the speaker

"Darien, pick up the phone son. It's your father." There was a long agitated sign then he spoke again. "I know you don't want to speak with me and that fine but-"

Darien clicked the delete button and forwarded to the next message surprised to hear his sister's voice.

"What's the point of having a phone if you never answer?!"

He smirked at her acrimony. She had a spirit like their mother's full of passion and fire.

"I thought you should know that our father paid my bail. He seriously thinks that's all it's going to take to let him back into our lives. Look, I don't even want to waste my breath on him so I'll cut to the point, I have a court date soon and it's at the courthouse by your place so I was calling to see if I could crash at your place for that weekend. You can call me back on this number."

Raye was always in trouble and he couldn't help but think that it was partially his fault for letting it get so bad. But how could he have helped her when he was in bed all day?

"Darien, this is Dr. Tomoe. I got your blood work back." Darien knew that pause. He had heard it many times over and he sat on his couch as he waited for Dr. Tomoe to deliver the news that always ended his hopes of living a normal life.

"Darien, I'm sorry but the Leukemia's back."


	3. The Decision

I'm sorry this took me a while to get in but my computer malfunctioned and I lost all my data and files. Hopefully I can get it fixed soon. On a happier note I've decided not to kill Darien so hopefully that will ease some of your suffering.

**Serenity-cosmos-10:** There will be plenty more tears shed later in the story ;)

**SailorMoonLover24**:Haha. I'm sorry to end with cliffhangers but I'll try not in to in future chapters.

**SerenityMoonGodess**: Thank you!

**LitaLove**: Sorry that I left it suspenseful =\

**Sweetthingx3**: Don't worry, I've decided not to kill him :)

**SailorMoon0630**: Thank you! I'm glad you think it's exciting :)

**ekins1:** Thank you but in this story they do not transform into sailor scouts. This is simply an AU (alternate universe) although there maybe some cameos.

**Sesho's Gal**: The waiting is over!

**Buttaflykissesxoxo:** I'm glad you like it :)

**[Insert standard disclaimer here]**

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Darien sat in the doctors office tapping his fingers impatiently against his knee. He looked around the room at the white walls, framed certificates and degrees, the wooden desk in front of him holding the large computer screen, the exotic looking plant in the far corner of the office and wondered when he would see the last of this room. Probably when I die, he thought. There was a click from the door and he turned his attention the the white haired man walking in.

"Sorry Darien, I had to deal with a patient who insisted that they swallowed a chicken bone." Doctor Samuel Tomoe chuckled softly hoping that the young dark haired man sitting across from him would be amused at the situation but the mute look on his face told him otherwise. Samuel cleared his throat and sat down in his chair.

"How bad is it?" Darien asked sternly.

Samuel hesitated for a minute then folded his hands together on his desk and looked at Darien. "It's in the most aggressive stage I've ever seen it in."

"I've been in remission for two years." Samuel could hear the sense of hopelessness in Darien's voice as he rubbed his neck.

"I know." Samuel sighed. "I really thought we had beat this thing but it just keeps coming back and it feels like its laughing at us." He leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his silver mane.

"Chemo would be aggressive, wouldn't it?" Darien asked slightly afraid of the answer. He didn't want to go back to those days of nausea, vomiting, night sweats, all the aches and pains, not being able to get out of bed. It wasn't a life worth living if he had to go through that again.

"Very." Samuel answered simply.

Darien rose from his seat and wondered to the window looking down at all the people going about with their daily business. They don't have to worry about running out of time, wondering if they'll still be alive in the morning. They don't have a care in the world. Darien would give anything to trade lives with one of them.

"Darien, there's more to it then just the aggressive stage."

The wavering in Samuel's voice made Darien's stomach clench with fear. He turned to the man who has taken care of him since he was first diagnosed and saw the worried expression on his face.

"What is it?"

"Chemo alone won't stop it. You'll need a bone marrow transplant."

It took all of Darien's strength to keep his composure as he felt his body grow numb and vision blur at the news. He knew as well as Samuel how long it took for those who needed transplants to get them. What's the point, he thought, I'll probably die before my name even gets on that list. He leaned his head against the cool glass of the window and closed his eyes trying to image how his life would be if he weren't sick. He would be able to have normal relationships with people, start a career of his own, wouldn't have a care in the world. An image of a blond haired, blue eyed girl popped into his mind and reminded him of the agreement he made with his new neighbor.

"I can get you in as early as next week for chemo and then-"

"No."

The blunt response surprised Samuel and he looked at Darien who was leaning against the large window.

"I'm not going to go through treatment."

"What?"

"For ten years I've been battling this. I'm tired Sam. I don't want to live the last of the time I have left in bed sick to my stomach waiting for hope that I know will never come." He turned to Samuel who sat in his large rolling chair looking rather shocked.

"You can't be serious. Darien, it's a miracle you've lived this long with leukemia. We've been able to get you this far and you want to quit? With this transplant you can be cancer free. We can fight this Darien. You just need to hold out until you can get that transplant."

"Please Sam." Darien asked softly but the look on his face spoke volumes to Samuel.

"Do you realize that you're asking me to let you die?" Samuel sat straight up in his chair, a cold sensation running through his body at the thought of doing so. They sat in silence for a long while as Samuel contemplated Darien's request. Then he spoke, "I still remember the day I took you and Raye under my wing. You were going through your first round of chemo and Raye was barely entering middle school." He looked at the framed picture on his desk and smiled at the memory. It had been on a day when Darien was well enough to go out and although Raye had protested she finally complied after Darien had asked her. They looked like such an odd family; Samuel with his white hair and pale complexion, Darien wore a black beanie to cover the hair loss from chemotherapy which contrasted unpleasantly with his pale skin and sunken eyes, Raye's eyeliner was smudged around her eyes, her raven hair was style with braids here and there making it look rough and course and her lips were coated with a deep plum lipstick. Although Raye had been a wild one she showed that she loved and respected Samuel during the time that she lived with him. Although she never wanted to admit that she was the one hurting the most from all of this, Samuel could see it in her eyes. "I promised myself that I would take care of you and Raye but I can't help but feel that I've failed her."

"Don't. Raye was already going down that path before you adopted us."

"Perhaps, but now you are making me fail you. I promised myself, your father and your mother, God rest her soul, that I would make you better."

"Lets face it Sam. I'm not going to get better and there's no point in trying if the two paths merge at the end. Just let me do this, as a dying wish." Darien smile softly in hopes to lighten the mood somewhat but stopped himself when he saw the serious look in Samuel's eyes.

"Don't say that."

Darien exhaled and ran his fingers through his dark hair. "How much time do I have?"

"Without chemotherapy twelve months max."

"That's all the time I need."

**...**

It was another one of those mornings where she wanted to do nothing but fall back asleep, to not wake, to not be in this life. She lay on her back, arms and legs spread wide, staring at the ceiling letting the sweet sorrow begin to take over. Her hands traveled over to her flat stomach and she tried to remember the feel of the life that use to reside in her womb, tried to remember how it felt when the life would move and stir her insides. She recalled the sheer happiness arise when she felt it kick, a sign that she was able to create and harbor the little thing. She rolled onto her side and felt a tear slip from her eye and drip down her nose on to her pillow. _Why did she have die?_ Sorrow and hopelessness crept into her chest as she recalled the day when she lost the most important thing in her life. But before the heartache took over her a knock came from her door and she looked at her clock. It was still too early for Darien to come over.

She stretched in a feline manner and sat up looking for her discarded pajama pants. She slipped them on and trudged to her door yawning as a second knock erupted.

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." She muttered. She unlatched the lock and pulled open the door surprised to see the sandy haired woman holding an animal kennel in one hand and a large bag of cat food in the other outside her doorway. "Haruka?"

"Hey 'Rena!" Her overly cheery cousin greeted hugging her with the hand that held the cat food.

"Come in." She stepped to the side making room for her to enter. Before she closed her door she looked at Darien's door and glanced down the hall wondering if he had forgotten their arrangement.

"Nice place you got here." Haruka surveyed the apartment and the unpacked boxes then set down the kennel and bag of cat food.

"Um, thanks." Serena said once she closed the door and secured the lock. She turned to her cousin and watched as she unfastened the metal gate on the kennel. What are you dong here?" She asked but her probing stopped when she saw the animal pad out of the cage. "Luna!"

Serena scooped up the large black cat in her arms and kissed it affectionately on its wet nose. The cat meowed in response to Serena's kiss. "Oh! I missed you so much Luna."

"Your parents asked me to deliver her to you since they said it was going to be hard dong a lot of things with your grandpa moving in." She watched as Serena set the cat down and let her roam around. After sniffing a few boxes and cleaning herself the cat perched itself on the window seal flicking its tail back and forth. "How are you doing?"

Serena shrugged her shoulders and kept her eyes on her cat who was basking in the sun by the window. "How are you suppose to feel after losing a child?"

Haruka felt the hurt in her cousin's words and remembered how Serena had reacted when the doctors told her they couldn't save the baby. She was still recovering herself but her father had to hold her down after she tried relentlessly to get out of bed to see the deceased infant. She had never seen her cry so hard before.

"Sorry Haruka, I'm just having an off day. I haven't got my prescription filled yet."

She nodded in acknowledgement hiding the worried look in her eyes. She missed the fun-loving happy person Serena was. She used to be such a bright soul and happy soul but now that person had disappeared and now a broken woman stood in Serena's place.

"How is everyone? How's Mina?" She asked turning to her.

"Well, Mina's Mina. How else can I put it?" A soft smile broke across her lips and Haruka's heart warmed at the sight of it. Although they've had their ups and downs she knew Serena loved her little sister and would be glad to here about her. "She's been driving your parents to the brink ever since you moved out. I seriously thought your dad was going to blow an artery when she maxed out his credit card."

"She what?" Although it shouldn't have surprised her that her little sister would do such a thing it was still unbelievably careless to trust Mina with a credit card. "Well it's Mina." She sighed.

The was an awkward silence for a minute as Haruka contemplated on bring up the subject of her past lover. "You know, I saw Seiya yesterday."

Serena felt anger rise at the name. She looked away from Haruka not wanting to continue with the current subject.

"No matter what you think Serena he did care for you."

"He had a funny way of showing it."

"He lost a child too."

"Why are you defending him?" She didn't mean to yell at her but the fact that her own family were trying to fortify the one person who she hated and caused her to become this way infuriated her. "He wasn't there at the hospital the night I lost my daughter."

"Because you were shunning him. You didn't even allow him to see you in the hospital."

"Because he cheated on me Haruka!" Hot tears stung her eyes as and her body shook with anger. "Why does everyone think that he was just an innocent bystander in my down spiral? He made me this way! I can't be the person I was because of him. I want to be able to trust people again, to laugh and be happy and enjoy the simple pleasures in life but I can't! I'm dead inside."

Haruka's guilt began to build as Serena stared at her with remorse, remorse at what she didn't know. Perhaps at the fact that she believed she was broken. She reached out to touch Serena's shoulder but recoiled with a jump as a knock from the door erupted.

Serena wiped her eyes with her sleeve and took a deep breath. "That's Darien."

"Who?"

"My neighbor. Now if you don't mind I have to get dressed and attend to my company." Serena said coolly willing with her mind for Haruka to disappear.

After a tense filled minute and trying to find the words to say but was at a loss Haruka nodded and made her way to the door, Serena trailing behind.

Before she opened the door Haruka turned to face her cousin and said, "I'm sorry Sere, for everything." She opened the door and looked at the rather tall dark-haired man standing before them, his handsomely structured face twisted in confusion. Haruka simply smiled sadly and made her way around Darien and down the hall.

Darien turned to Serena who was leaning her head against the door frame looking slightly worn down. Her eyes were puffy and lined with red. "Did I come at a bad time?"

Serena shook her head and motioned for him to enter. She closed the door behind him but found she couldn't face him yet. Her body still shook uncontrollably and a lump in her throat still remained restricting her from speaking as she pleased.

"Serena, are you okay?" He touched her trembling shoulder gently.

"Yeah." She breathed whipping her eyes again then turned to him. He towered over her making her crane her neck slightly to look him in the eyes. Those deep blue eyes. "Told you I have issues."

A quiet gentle rumbling broke the melancholy aura radiating from Serena and she self-consciously put her hands over her stomach, a red hue staining her cheeks.

"Perhaps breakfast will get your mind off things." Darien suggested although he didn't quite have an appetite after this morning's appointment. But he smiled as her face lit up at the invitation. "Did you want to change or are you planning on wearing those pink bunny pants?"

Serena looked down at her pajama pants and,yes, although it was embarrassing for him to see her in that what made her blush bright red was when she realized that she wasn't wearing a bra. She crossed her arms over her chest and shrieked somewhat. "Just a minute!" She sprinted passed him to her bedroom. "Make yourself comfortable." She said before closing her door.

Darien chuckled at her actions and made his way to her couch but was stopped by a soft creature moving around his feet. He looked down and saw a black cat weaving itself between his legs.

"Hey kitty." He bent down and scratched the cat between the ears and was rewarded with its soft content purring. It would have been a fine moment if the sudden pain below his ribs hadn't brought him to his knees. He clutched his left side and waited for the paint to pass clenching his teeth together. "And so it begins." He breathed through his teeth.

"Ready!" Serena chimed swinging open her door. A gasped escaped her mouth when she saw Darien doubled over on her living room floor and Luna sniffing him curiously. She ran over to him and bent down to his level rubbing his back as her mom used to to comfort her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just a cramp." He lied trying to restore his composure.

"Do you want some aspirin?"

"No. It...it'll pass." He almost wanted to laugh at her incomprehension to the type of medication he would need for his pain. But he didn't. Just as the soon as the pain stopped he took a deep breath and looked at her, feeling guilty at making her worry. "See it passed."

He could tell that he hadn't really convinced her that he was fine and as he stood she held onto him, helping him up. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. Don't worry." He ran his fingers through his dark hair then motioned towards the door. "Shall we?"

Serena hesitated for a bit wanting to make sure that he was really okay but settle on letting it be. She nodded her head and smiled. She kissed Luna goodbye and took Darien's arm as he offered it and closed her door, heading off for her day with Darien.


	4. An Exception

For the days Darien and Serena spend together I decided to write it through Serena's POV. Let me know what you think! ;)

**TropicalRemix**: Serena is going to find out about his Leukemia but in later chapters. And as for the transplant I have a surprise in store. (^.^)

**SailorMoonLover24:** I'm soo glad you like the story!

**LoveInTheBattleField**: It is coming ;)

**Buttafkissesxoxo**: I'm sorry if I made you cry :(

**Luna2121**: To answer your question I started with an excerpt of the later chapters because I wanted to see if people would be interested in reading a story like this and if I got a good enough response I would continue (which I have and will.) :)

**ARABELLA VIOLETTA:** Thank you!

**Disclaimer:** I **do not** own Sailor Moon!

* * *

The restaurant was one of those mass market ones where all the senior citizens went every morning, where the waitresses call them on a first name basis and they ordered the same bland food everyday and you could smell that strange clean scent that radiated for there skin underneath the smell of potatoes frying and pancakes cooking. I wasn't complaining or anything. In fact this was all I could afford for two at the moment and I wasn't going to let Darien pay since he bought me hot chocolate last night. The waitress greeted us at the door and led us to a booth by the window overlooking the main street and a small flower garden. she handed us the menu and I, being emotionally unstable from my confrontation with Haruka and starved to death, took it from her with much haste that you would have thought I were going to eat the menu.

"I'll have the two two two combo with french toast, extra hash browns and a side order of chocolate chip pancakes." What can I say? I'm an eater. The waitresses eyebrow arched and looked at me funny then jotted down my order.

"And you sir?" She turned to Darien who looked amused at my rather unladylike appetite.

"Just coffee please." He smiled politely. She smiled back and the smallest inkling of jealousy crept inside of me. I've only known Darien for a day and it was just pathetic of me to think like that. I told myself to stop thinking that he was more than just my neighbor. The waitress took our menus and walked way saying it will just be a minute to bring our drinks.

"That's all you're going to have?" I asked Darien.

He smiled but it wasn't that beautiful heart-melting smile from yesterday. This smile curled softly at the ends of his lips and was half-hearted, possessing some kind of sadness. "I'm not really hungry."

"Don't think that I'm gong to share with you. I never share my food."

He held his hands up defensively, jokingly. From that position I could make out the muscles beneath his long sleeve button down. Damn, he was handsome.

"So, yesterday you got your fill of my life. What about you?" I asked resting my chin in my hands.

"What about me?"

"Well, I don't know. How old are you? Where'd you grow up? How are your parents."

"We really have to go over this?"

"Hey, I'm the one asking the questions."

He sighed out of what seemed like frustration then ran his fingers through his hair which I noticed he does a lot. "My family dynamic is sort of a sore subject."

I could tell he meant to leave it at that but I wasn't going to let him, so I just stared at him. I've noticed that if you stare at people long enough they'll tell you everything.

He cleared his throat. "Well, I'm twenty-seven. I grew up here and there, we always had to move because my father's career required him to. I never really had much of a childhood."

"What kind of career?"

"Politics." He said rather disdainfully. "We had to keep up the image of the perfect little family so he could win voters and elections. The public loves a perfect 'loving' family man." He looked out the window, his face contorted.

"It sounds like you really loathe him." For a minute he didn't answer and kept his eyes on the main street beyond the window. I felt bad bringing up a subject that would cause him such memories and feelings. I bit my lip, a nervous habit, pulling the dead skin on it with my teeth.

"There's just a lot of things that he could have done differently." He finally said looking back at me giving another fake smile.

The waitress had returned with our drinks setting the glasses down in front of us. She left a bowl of the small creamer cups for Darien's coffee and I, having a constant hankering for sweets, took three of them and began to open the first one. "What about your mother?"

"She died when I was eight." He said with more reserve then I could possibly have conjured explaining the loss of a parent. I watched him as he listlessly opened the small cup of creamer and poured it into his coffee and stirred the drink with his spoon. I could see in his eyes that his mind was somewhere else.

"Oh, Darien. I'm sorry." I reached across the table for his idol hand touched it affectionately. He flinched at the touch and he snapped back from where ever his mind had drifted.

"It's alright. It was a long time ago."

"What...happened?"

"It was a car accident. She was driving back from work and she somehow lost control of the car and drove off a cliff."

I could feel hot tears in my eyes at the thought of being in Darien's position at that time. It must have been a horrible thing to go through at such a young age. He must have been so lonely. It was practically as if he didn't have any parents. I could never imagine what my life would be like without my parents, to not have a mother and a father who didn't care about his family.I almost lost my appetite Almost.

It took two trays for the waitress to bring my food and my mouth watered at the sight of the luscious platefuls. But just after the waitress set down all the plates and I began to dig in I looked at Darien who sat stirring his coffee staring off into space again. I sighed with a mouthful of Belgian waffle and silently said farewell to half of my breakfast. I cut half of my waffle and placed one half on the plate with my hash browns, then I cut half of the chocolate chip pancakes and placed one half with the other half of waffles. I spooned forkfuls of the hash browns and eggs onto the plate with the halves of waffle and pancakes and generously decided to give him two pieces of bacon and sausage.

"What's this?" He asked with a questioning look as I slid the smaller plate of food across the table to him.

"Just eat it." I said keeping my eyes on my plate, forcefully cutting into my half of the waffle, a little ticked off that I had to give up half of my food.

"I thought you don't share your food." A cunning grin played on his lips.

"For you I'll make an exception."


	5. Cramp My Ass!

I'm _so_ sorry it took me forever to get this up. My sincerest apologies to you all! And my greatest apology to **SailorMoonLover24** for promising you this chapter one to two days _three weeks ago(Forgive me T-T)_ For this reason I shall not promise an exact date when the next chapter will be up but know that it is coming to you soon!

**[Please excuse and errors and/or typos]**

I **DO NOT** own Sailor Moon.

* * *

Raye grabbed the handful of clothes hanging in her closet and threw the pile of clothes into the small duffle bag then opened the tiny dresser drawer and grabbed what little undergarments she had and tossed those in with the clothes. A drug addict doesn't usually acquire a full wardrobe, their money is spent else where. She went over the the vanity to gather her make-up together almost knocking over all of the various bottles and compacts in her haste to get out of the apartment. She practically jumped out of her skin when a violent pounding on the door outside her room startled her.

"Raye! Open this fucking door!" Her current mistake for a boyfriend yelled.

"Fuck off asshole!" She caught a glimpse of herself and her now swelling bruised eye in the vanity mirror. Her hair was tangled and frizzed from wrestling her way out of his grasp and the dash to her room, her face was flushed looking more pale then she ever was, the red color of her lipstick was smeared, and dark smudges encircled her eyes from the eyeliner. She looked like she'd been through hell and back. Disgusted with herself for allowing a pathetic man to toss her around she looked away and zipped up the duffle bag.

"If you don't open this door I'm-"

"You'll what? Break it down? Go ahead and try. But good luck telling the landlord that you spent the rent and repair money on your daily ingestion of crack and whores!"

"You bitch! When I get my hands on you I'm going to strangle that smug attitude right out of you!"

"Oh, my. You'd speak like that to a lady? Such a gentlemen." She mocked him as she slug the duffle bag over her shoulder and grabbed the family picture of she, Darien, and Samuel from the vanity mirror. The picture was the one thing that she could never leave without. It reminded her of the way her life had been and the family she had had. Her dear brother who had begged her that day to comply and take the picture for his sake while he was still alive. That day was one of the better days when everything seemed perfect; Darien had just finished chemotherapy and Samuel had taken the day off of work. The was no mention of hospitals, hair loss, aches and pains, weight loss, grades, or that bastard of a man they called their father. All that mattered was that they were together as a family. She'd give anything to have that day back.

The sudden bombarding of her door tore her from her thoughts as "Mistake Number Four" tried to break down the door. She strode across the room to the window and threw open the shutters. Slinging the duffle bag full of her belongings she climbed out of the window and onto the fire escape, racing down the rattling metal stairs. As she jumped the last four feet off the ladder she heard Mistake Number Four scream profanity at her. Feeling the rush of adrenaline and being her natural audacious self she looked up and blew Mistake Number Four a kiss and waved goodbye as she disappeared into the crowded city street.

**...**

"It's getting close to that date." Dr. Kaioh stated staring earnestly at Serena tapping her pen lightly on her notepad. "Do you think you'll be able to manage carrying on with your day knowing that a year ago you lost your baby?"

Serena sat quietly feeling a stab of pain in her heart as Dr. Kaioh's question echoed in her head. It had only been a year since that night in the hospital and she hated how almost everyone she knew wanted her to "try and forget about it" and "move on."

"It's never easy losing someone you love. I mean, I didn't have the chance to know my baby but carrying a life inside of you for six and a half moths has its exceptions. I remember when I first found out I was pregnant I was so heartbroken and angry. I resented the baby because I felt like I was losing my dreams. I wanted to do so much with my life and had so many plans and I felt as if all that was going to slip away because I had to take care of this child. And I did not want to be stuck with Seiya my whole life."

"What was wrong with Seiya?"

"Don't get me wrong, I loved him but we were only dating for two months before I got pregnant. I barely knew who he was. The only reason we got married was for the sake of our child. Things only went down hill from there. We were constantly fighting over the most ridiculous things like shoes in the hallway or dishes in the sink and our arguments always ended with him storming out of the house. I felt like my life and everything I've worked so hard for was going down the drain. It wasn't until I was in my third trimester that things started to change. I felt her kick and..."

Serena felt the lump begin to swell restricting her from speaking. She grabbed a handful of tissue form the cardboard tissue box on the end table next to her and whipped away a stray tear.

"When I heard her heartbeat for the first time it felt as if all those problems, the fights and worries were so meager and meaningless. I couldn't believe that I was so selfish to not want her. After that I was so happy. Seiya and I were getting along better and for the first time in a long time I was looking forward to the future...Just when everything seemed okay I got a call from Naru, my friend from college. She called to tell me that during those first months when Seiya and I were fighting she and Seiya were...having an affair."

"That's when you left Seiya?"

"Yes. I didn't even really say anything to him. I just packed my things and left to my parents house. The first few weeks he kept calling the house asking to talk to me, he even came over to apologize but I couldn't forgive him. Even after a year I still can't...That night I was laying in bed when I started to feel pain in my back. I didn't really think anything of it until I began to feel pressure on my pelvis and started having contractions. My dad drove me to the hospital and right away I knew something was wrong when my doctor was examining me. She told me I was in labor."

Serena felt her body shaking as she remembered how frightened she was that night, how the events unfolded. "She was so little and so, so beautiful. I only saw her for a second before they took her to the NICU. I was still recovering when my dad told me it wasn't looking good for the baby. They kept her in the incubator and were treating her for RDS. I remember the day I was well enough to see her she was able to grab on to my finger...They say with treatment a preemie with RDS has a high chance of living. I guess my baby fell under the small percentage that die. You're asking if I'll move with my day as if nothing happened a year ago and my answer is I don't think so."**  
**

**...**

It was three o' clock in the afternoon and Darien was still in bed. He could see the daylight creeping in through the slits of his blinds and hear the city traffic from the streets below his apartment. His attempts to wake up and prepare for the day failed miserably and decided to retire to bed for the rest of the day. It wasn't depression, no, not at all. But when your bones ache and fatigue possessed you it seem such a more logical reason to stay in bed. He knew he'd have to cancel his plans with Serena today and cursed himself for it. He barely knew her but already Serena had an affect on him. Perhaps it was her cynical views or that underneath that sardonic demeanor he caught a glimpse of the happy carefree woman she is. He only hoped he had the same affect on her.

_Bzzt! Bzzt!_

"Ugh." Darien grunted at the thought of getting out of bed and answering his door but made the painful decision to do so. Slowly he lifted the sheets off and pulled himself up and out of bed. He sucked in air threw his teeth as the ache traveled through his body when he stood. He balanced himself against the wall as he made his way to the front door trying his very best to hurry as a second beep came from the buzzer.

"Yes?" He answered into the intercom.

"Will you hurry and open the door? This duffle bag is heavy." He heard his sister retort.

"Raye?" He undid the locks and opened the door, trying very hard to present himself as if he were well.

"Hey big brother." Raye smiled cunningly as she let herself in and dumped her duffle bag on the couch. "I know I told you that my court date wasn't until a couple of weeks but I had some trouble with the five star hotel I was staying at."

Darien closed the front door and looked at his sister tilting her chin to the side so he could see her swollen bruised eye. "Is this what five star hotels do now when they kick you out?"

"It's nothing I've haven't been through before." Raye stated matter-of-factly looking up at Darien. She nudged his hand away from her chin and strode over to the couch, planting herself in the middle of the cushions. "Besides, I thought you would be happy to have your little sister around for a while."

"Of course I'm happy. I just wasn't expecting you so early."

"Why? Am I interrupting something?"

"No. Do you want something to drink?"

"Sure."

Darien could feel Raye's eyes borrowing into the back of his skull as he walked into the kitchen. His sister knew him better than anyone and her probing eyes already hinted that she knew something was wrong. He could feel her watching his every move as he open a cupboard and reached for a water glass trying hard to ignore the ache in his bones. But as he began to fill the glass with tap water his joints stiffened and he dropped the glass on the floor letting it shatter to pieces by his feet.

"Darien!" Raye ran to his side careful not to step on the broken glass and water.

He grabbed onto the sink, tightening his grip as the pain throbbed throughout his body. He concentrated on his breathing; inhaling deeply, exhaling slowly until the pain began to subside.

"What the hell? Are you okay?" Raye asked with wide-eyes.

"Y-yeah. Just a cramp." Darien lied struggling to regain control of his body.

"Cramp my ass!"

"You don't have to shout."

"You're sick again aren't you?"

"No. I-"

"Don't lie to me. I know the symptoms Darien. I've seen you go through this before."

Darien didn't bother to fight his sister on this. There was no point in arguing with her because she was right, she knew everything about this sickness and its nature. Whenever Samuel was gone Raye took his place and took care of Darien when he was sick and suffering from the side effect from chemo. She would pat him down with a damp rag to aide his fever, bring him extra blankets to lessen the chills. She was there when he passed out on the bathroom floor from puking his guts out. "I just need to lay down for a minute."

Raye help him to his bedroom, letting him lean against her for balance. When they reached his bed he slowly eased him self down and into the sheets feeling relief as his body relax against the soft cushion of his mattress.

"Thanks Raye." He smiled.

"Have you told Sam about this?"

"Yes, he knows."

"And he doesn't have the sense of mind to put you on chemo?!"

"No Raye. I asked him not to put me through treatment."

He could tell she was taken aback by his explanation. She stared at him wide-eyed in shock.

"Are you fucking kidding me! Are you crazy? Why would you do that?" She shot up from her seat on his bed and began to pace back and forth. "What the hell Darien?!"

"Raye calm down. It was my decision."

"Yeah and did you think about me at all?"

"Of course I did Raye. It's just-I've been going through this for ten years. I'm tired. I'm tired of being sick, of going to hospitals every week, laying in bed all day, puking my intestines out, losing my hair, not having a normal life. I'm tired of it."

The stray light peaking in through the blinds reflected off the tears running down Raye's face. "So, what? You're just going to let yourself die?"

"Raye, Sam said I need a bone marrow transplant."

"So get the transplant!"

"You know what the chances are of finding a match for those procedures. I'll be waiting another ten years for a match, even if I live pass this year-"

"Don't say that." Raye turned to him, her eyes full of anger and sorrow. "Don't you dare say that."

Raye sat on his bed with her back to Darien so she couldn't see her heartbroken face. Darien sat quietly feeling the guilt of putting his little sister threw such an ordeal but it's what she had to hear. The only comforting words he could give her were, "It's going to be okay."

Raye sat quietly and shook her head softly. "No it won't."


	6. Wager Dates?

Hello everyone!

I cannot express how ashamed I am that I have not updated in a _very_ long time. I ask that you forgive me **(Please!)**

I offer you this chapter as a gift of my apology and hope it satisfies you. (Okay, enough with the creepy talk.)

In all honesty I had lost inspiration to continue writing all of my stories as a result of one of those 'what am I doing with my life' phases and after I got a PM from one of my followers I realized why I loved writing so much and jumped right back in. So for those of you following second chances and The Awakening expect an update in the very near future!

I love you all and **enjoy**!

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own Sailor Moon.**

* * *

Serena hated walking up all those stupid stairs especially when she didn't have someone to help her carry the heavy things. She lugged the fifteen pound box of cat litter to the second floor slamming the box down as she rested against her apartment door. It was times like this when she wondered where Darien was. He would usually hear her walking down the hallway and help her carry her belongings but for the past week he had been a recluse. He wouldn't answer her phone calls and barely left his apartment. All she had seen and talked to him in the past five days was when she had knocked on his door to ask him if he was well the door creaked ajar only allowing Serena to see Darien's surprisingly pale complexion.

"Are you alright? I was worried because you haven't been answering my calls." She had asked letting the sincerity of her concern be heard in her voice.

"I just got a bad case of the flu. I don't want you to catch it." Was all he would give her as an answer.

"Oh, I see. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes. I'll call you when I'm better. Bye Serena." And he shut the door softly before Serena could say her farewell.

And it was becoming increasingly hard to ignore the fact that there was a raven-haired women going in and out of his apartment ever since he "contracted the flu." She had never seen the girl before in the apartment building or heard Darien mention anything about a dark haired women and had the displeasing pleasure of meeting her.

Serena, who hadn't exactly been paying attention due to her own wondering thoughts, had accidentally collided with the women who was skipping down the stairs. The force of the impact threw both parties back onto their behinds and spilled the contents of the raven haired women's messenger bag.

"I'm so sorry." Serena apologized as she helped gather the women's belongings, ignoring her sore bum.

The women let out a frustrated sigh and hastily threw the belongings in her bag, pushing back her black locks behind her ears. She snatched what looked like a grocery list from Serena's hand and stood.

"Next time pay attention to where you're going, princess." The woman said rather harshly as she dusted off her black leather pants. Violet eyes hidden behind thick black eyeliner glanced at Serena crossly.

"S,sorry" Serena breathed as she watch the holder of the violet eyes move pass her and the crowds of the lobby with a graceful gait and out the apartment building.

Serena dropped the heavy box of cat litter on the floor of her sparse living room, whipping her brow in a sign of relief. The soft jingle of Luna's bell and the pitter-patter of paws could be heard as the cat trod down the hallway.

"Hey Luna." Serena greeted the cat as it sniffed the box. "Are you hungry?"

The cat purred in response weaving itself between Serena's legs. As Serena prepared Luna her meal she heard a commotion in the hallway, the raven-haired women was arguing with someone rather obstreperously about "being a stubborn ass and should just check in for treatment." A male voice mumbled something in response to her badgering. Serena wondered why the voices sounded so loud and close and she suddenly realized she had left her front door open. When she put down the can of cat food and turned to close her door she seen Luna run across the room and out into the apartment hallway.

"Luna!" Serena chased after her cat hoping to avoid another grapple with the raven-haired woman but stopped just short of her doorway as she saw Luna weaving between Darien's legs. The pale complexion Serena had seen the other day was now replaced with his natural healthy tan hue, his dark hair was tousled from the wind outside, and was wearing a salmon button down and khaki pants.

"Hey, Serena." He smiled that damn breath taking smile that always made her stomach flutter. He bent down and picked up Luna who meowed in response.

"Hi." Serena breathed smiling back, taking her cat. The absence of him and his beauty for five days made Serena ache to be around him if only for a minute. "You're feeling better?"

"Yeah, Completely better."

A sardonic snicker came from the woman standing beside Darien who looked dumbfounded by the tall man's answer. "Really? You're feeling completely better?"

She turned her attention to Serena whose absurd thoughts about Darien seized once those violet eyes scrutinized her. The women looked from Serena to Darien then back to Serena. "Is my brother screwing you?"

"Raye!" Darien's face turned a bright shade of red as he threw open his apartment door and pushed Raye inside.

"Alright, alright." She muttered as Darien shut the door trapping her in the apartment.

Darien ran his hand though his black hair, sighing in frustration. "Sorry, my sister's a little on the rough side."

Rapture filled Serena's heart knowing that the raven-haired woman named Raye was Darien's sister and not a hussy contending for his affection. Serena absent-mindlessly hugged Luna closer to her chest as the joy traveled throughout her body. "I didn't know you had a sister."

"Yeah, well she's staying with me for a while until she, um, gets a few things straightened out."

"Oh, I see."

There was an awkward silence as the petite blonde and tall dark haired man stood in the hall way pondering on what to say. Serena guessed she had that effect of making situations awkward. She didn't know who to interact with others really. At least she had forgotten how to interact with people since she had avoided people for the better half of a year.

"Are you busy tonight?" Darien asked, interrupting herself conscious thoughts.

"No, I was just about to feed Luna and maybe watch Charmed."

"Charmed?"

"Yeah, it's just this really girly show about these sisters and stuff." Serena blushed at how much of a girl she sounded like: spending her Friday night watching a 90s chick show with her cat. God she was pathetic.

"Well, if Luna and your 'really girly show' wouldn't mind I owe you some wager dates."

"Wager dates? We're going to have to find a different name for that."

...

"What the fuck are you doing Darien?" Raye probed her brother as he entered the apartment and opened the coat closet. She could see that ridiculous smile he had on his face and that dewy eyed look as he walked pass her to grab his keys. "Are you listening to me?"

"What?" He finally acknowledged her.

"What are you doing? You're _sick_ Darien."

"Stop Raye. We've talked about this." That ridiculously large smile of his had faded and now looked annoyed. He walked passed her once more and searched through desk drawer for something.

"No, I talked and you shrugged it off. You can't just ignore this Darien. If Samuel says there's a cure then why not take it? You're so close to getting rid of this and instead of taking the necessary procedures in doing so you're in your own little world gallivanting with some girl who looked at you like you were prince charming. I mean, does she even know you're sick?"

He slammed the desk drawer shut and sighed heavily.

"You haven't told her?" Raye smacked the palm of her hand against her forehead. "My god Darien. You really are in denial if you think she's not going to find out.

Darien rested his hands on his hips and inhaled deeply. "Look, I promised her something and I intend to keep my promise. She just looks like she really needs someone right now."

"And what about me? I don't need anyone?" It really did hurt Raye to hear Darien say that he would want to spend his time helping some other person than his own sister. When Darien first got sick it felt as if her whole world was falling apart. Darien was the only one there for her after their mother had died. He comforted her and cared for her, poured her milk, brushed her hair, read her bedtime stories. He was the only one she had left and it felt as if God was taking away everything that she loved. "How can you just give up and leave me alone?"

"Raye." He sighed.

Just go." Raye felt her throat swell up and hot tears fill her eyes. She wasn't going to let him see her like this: weak. She didn't want to be weak, not in front of him. She would let it all out after he would leave like she has done for years. If he saw her as a strong spirit he would be too. Hopefully strong enough to push his stubbornness aside and go to chemo as she asked.

"We'll talk when I get back, okay?"

"Whatever." She didn't look at him as he opened the door. She tried to hide the tears falling down her face. She begged her tears to wait until the door shut behind him to fall as they wished, wait until he was down the hall so he didn't hear her whimper and sob and fall on the couch and scream into the cushion asking God why he was so cruel and let the exhaustion from crying lull her to sleep.


End file.
